Opposition parties on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of unleashing a “relentless campaign of vendetta” against its political opponents and critics through “mischievous” use of investigative agencies. In a joint statement issued after meeting of their floor leaders, the Opposition parties alleged that prominent leaders of several political parties have been “deliberately targeted and subjected to harassment in an unprecedented manner.”
“We condemn this and resolve to continue and intensify our collective fight against the anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-Constitution policies of the Modi Sarkar that is destroying the social fabric of our society,” the statement read.
The letter was signed by the floor leaders of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Shiv Sena and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) following their meeting in the Parliament.
The statement was issued ahead of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the National Herald case. Gandhi’s daughter and party’s General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived at her residence to accompany the veteran leader to the probe agency’s office.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as a special exemption, will be allowed to go inside ED office along with her mother but she won’t be allowed inside interrogation room, according to officials.
The ED had on June 1 summoned Sonia Gandhi in the case for the first time in connection with a money laundering case involving the National Herald. It issued similar summons on June 8 and then on June 21 but the Congress leader could not appear for questioning after testing positive and being hospitalised for Covid-19.
The central investigative agency wants to record Sonia Gandhi’s statements under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The BJP slammed the Congress for holding protests ahead of the Enforcement Directorate’s questioning Gandhi, calling it “duragrah” (obstinate demand) for protecting the Gandhi family.
“The Congress has become a pocket organisation of a family, and now its assets are also being pocketed by the family,” he alleged, attacking the Gandhis,” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters, as quoted by news agency.